Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children’s theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community.
In the 1880s, “little theatre’’ was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped.
Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as mist simply want to infuse(注入)little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills.
小题1:Why was “little theatre” started in Europe?

A．To put on shows for children.

B．To collect money for poor people.

C．To entertain poor people.

D．To get people interested in theatrical productions.

小题2:From the passage we know that community theatres can _____.

A．help young people ,make more money

B．prevent young people getting into trouble

C．help young people enter the colleges

D．encourage young people to become more responsible

小题3:Which of the following is TRUE about community theatre?

A．It is usually funded by the government.

B．It is intended to train professional actors.

C．It benefits the community in many ways.

D．It is quite different from the old “little theatres”.

小题4:We can infer from the last paragraph that _____.

A．some professional actors may come from the community theatres

B．community theatres only charge for incidental expenses

C．community theatres have lost their attraction today

D．people can live by acting in the community theatres